


Stars Align

by Historical_Fangirl



Category: The Greatest Showman (2017)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Marriage, Romance, Sickfic, Vomiting, Weddings, Yellow Fever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-03
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-08-17 03:50:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16508858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Historical_Fangirl/pseuds/Historical_Fangirl
Summary: Shortly before their marriage Anne and Phillip visit Anne's hometown of New Orleans to see her grandmother. However, nothing could have prepared them for what truly awaited them.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> P.T. Barnum returned from touring with Jenny Lind in 1851, this story takes place about two years later in 1853.

_ New Orleans, Louisiana _

 

_ June 1853 _

 

The air was hot and muggy and the afternoon sun beat down as Phillip and Anne stepped off the train, each clutching a small suitcase in one hand. Anne smiled to herself as she gazed at all of the people strolling along the streets, enjoying each others company on a beautiful summer day. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed her home until she returned.

 

“So, your grandmother’s house is nearby?” Phillip asked Anne as they crossed the street and began to walk away from the train station at a brisk pace, neither of them wanting to be out in the mid-summer heat for longer than they had to be.

 

Anne nodded. “Just down here, on the left.”

 

Phillip nodded and held out his arm to Anne, which she took with a grateful smile. As they continued down the street Phillip couldn’t help marveling at all of the activity, which was so different from New York. People laughed and shouted to each other in a mixture of French and English, and almost everyone looked happy to be out and about.

 

Anne giggled slightly as she observed Phillip’s expression. “Is it too overwhelming?”

 

Phillip shook his head, though he was still looking around in awe. “It’s just… not what I’m used to.”

 

Anne smiled. “That’s what I thought when me and W.D. first moved to New York. Everyone was in such a rush all the time, and no one seemed happy. I almost left and moved back here.”

 

“I’m glad you didn’t,” Phillip said softly, planting a quick kiss on the top of Anne’s head.

 

“I’m glad I didn’t either, as much as my grandmother wanted me to,” Anne replied.

 

The mention of Anne’s grandmother made Phillip’s heart begin to flutter nervously again. Anne seemed to sense his anxiety, and she smiled reassuringly.

 

“Don’t worry. She’ll love you, I promise.”

 

“I hope so,” Phillip murmured, almost to himself. “I hope so.”

 

~

 

“Annie!” an older woman with skin the same rich chocolate color as W.D.’s cried from where she was standing on the front porch as Anne and Phillip approached an older looking wooden house nestled among Magnolia trees on a quiet street.

 

Anne grinned, letting go of Phillip and running up the steps to be enveloped in a big hug. “Hello, Nana.”

 

“Oh, it’s so good to see you!” Anne’s grandmother said, her thick Southern accent rivaling Anne’s. She stepped back and looked Anne up and down. “My, how you’ve grown.”

 

“It’s good to see you too, Nana,” Anne said, then turned as Phillip slowly walked up the steps behind her. “This is Phillip.”

 

Phillip stuck out his hand to Anne’s grandmother, who gave it a firm shake. Phillip smiled nervously at her. “It’s nice to meet you, ma’am.”

 

“Oh, don’t call me that. You two are about to be married! At least call me Rose.”

 

“Alright, Rose,” Phillip said, a bit of his nervousness evaporating as he took in how kind and welcoming this woman was.

 

“Well, you both must be exhausted after your journey. Come inside, I’ve got some freshly made lemonade and you can see your room,” Rose declared, opening the door to the house and stepping inside, gesturing for them both to follow.

 

Phillip held the door open for Anne, and as she stepped past him she bumped his shoulder playfully and smiled. “I told you she’d like you.”

 

Phillip chuckled, grinning back at Anne. “Yes, you did. And you were right.”

 

~

 

Later that evening, after having been completely settled in and eating a delicious home-cooked meal, Phillip and Anne sat together on the front porch watching the sunset paint the sky a deep orange. Anne’s head rested on Phillip’s shoulder, and their hands were tightly intertwined.

 

“This is perfect,” Anne commented after a while of sitting in amicable silence. “Just you and me, here. Without anyone to look at us and judge us.”

 

“Hmmm,” Phillip hummed in agreement. Another moment of silence passed, then Anne spoke up again.

 

“What if we got married here?”

 

Phillip frowned, and looked over at Anne in surprise. “I thought you wanted to get married in New York, with W.D. and everyone else from the circus? That’s why we came here so that I could meet your grandmother before we got married.”

 

Anne sighed. “I know that that’s what we agreed on, and I know I’d be sad not to have everyone at our wedding… but I think I want to get married here. Nana’s here, and we could get married in the same church my parents got married in.”

 

Phillip smiled. “Whatever you want, Anne.”

 

“Then… I want to marry you here, in New Orleans. You’re sure you don’t mind?”

 

Phillip shook his head. “My parents won’t be attending no matter where we get married, so it doesn’t matter to me. If this is what you want, then it’s what we’ll do.”

 

Anne regarded Phillip for a moment, then she leaned forward and kissed him softly. “Have I ever told you how much I love you?”

 

“Once or twice, I believe,” Phillip said, his eyes sparkling with happiness and his tone teasing. “But I think I’d remember better if you kissed me again.”

 

Anne giggled and kissed him again. “Better?”

 

Phillip nodded, brushing a stray piece of hair out of her face. “Better.”


	2. Chapter 2

Anne and Phillip spent the next few days in the easy company of Anne’s grandmother, helping her with odd tasks around the house and occasionally taking walks to a nearby park or the market. It was simple, plain, and predictable, without any of the complications they often faced in New York. Phillip and Anne both loved it.

 

“If I didn’t have a circus to run, and you didn’t have a circus to perform in, I think we’d stay here,” Phillip remarked one evening as he and Anne sat across from each other at the kitchen table. Anne’s grandmother was across the street, visiting one of her friends.

 

Anne chuckled softly, shaking her head. “Only a week ago you told me you were dreading this visit, and now you don’t want to leave? You’re a puzzle, Phillip Carlyle.” She brushed a kiss across his forehead. “But you’re my puzzle.”

 

“And you’re going to be my wife,” Phillip said, breathless with disbelief. “I can hardly believe it.”

 

“I can’t either,” Anne agreed. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

 

Phillip grinned. “No. I wouldn’t either. You’re perfect.”

 

~

 

The first blow to the idyllic world Anne and Phillip had created for themselves in New Orleans came about a week after they had first arrived when they were eating breakfast. Phillip was reading the newspaper, something he did regularly wherever he was, when a concerned look drifted onto his face.

 

“What’s wrong?” Anne asked, coming to stand behind him and resting her head on his shoulder.

 

“An outbreak of Yellow Fever, all across New Orleans. It’s pretty bad, apparently,” Phillip replied, his tone detached and distant as he considered this news.

 

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that. There are always a handful of cases here and there every summer, mostly people just arrived from the North,” Anne’s grandmother chimed in, oblivious to what she was saying until Anne cleared her throat and inclined her head towards Phillip.

 

“Oh! I mean, uh, I’m sure we’ll all be safe,” Rose stammered, quickly busying herself with clearing away the breakfast dishes.

 

Anne planted a quick kiss on Phillip’s cheek, and his expression softened. “You worry too much, Flip,” she said, using the affectionate pet name for him she had come up with after he had tried (and failed) to recreate her act on a dare from W.D.

 

Phillip sighed, and set down the newspaper with a tight smile that looked more like a grimace. “It’s what I do best, according to P.T.”

 

“Well, stop worrying and take a walk with me,” Anne said, tugging playfully on his arm. “It’s too hot to stay indoors today.”

 

Phillip smiled a real smile and stood up, sweeping Anne into a bear hug. “Well then, who am I to say no to my future wife?”

 

~

 

Three days later found Anne sitting on the front porch with her grandmother, waving a fan in front of her face in an effort to cool herself off and thinking wistfully of New York winters as she watched Phillip repair one of the shutters on the front window.

 

“I’ll never complain about snow again,” Anne grumbled, almost to herself, but Phillip heard her and he chuckled.

 

“You say that every summer, and then every winter you say you’re going to move back here where there’s no snow.”

 

Anne tossed her fan at him with a good-natured frown, and he batted it away easily before wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. She studied him as he continued his work, her brow furrowing as she tried to discern what was wrong. Phillip had seemed off to her all day, even though he was acting completely normal.

 

“Well, I think we could all use a cold drink. Anne, will you get water from the well out back while I get glasses?” Rose asked, slowly standing and helping Anne up with a strong hand.

 

“Of course, Nana,” Anne responded, hurrying around to the back of the house as she spoke. Her grandmother was right, a cold drink sounded like heaven.

 

Anne found the well without any trouble at all, her grandmother had often asked her to fetch water for various purposes when she was little. She dropped the bucket down the well and heard it splash when it hit the water at the bottom. As she began to pull the bucket back up, she returned to her daydream about having a cold bank of snow to jump into.  _ Even a little ice would be nice, I wonder if there’s any way to get some-  _ her thoughts were interrupted by a loud thud followed by the sound of a hammer hitting the floor.

 

“Phillip? Phillip, are you alright?” Anne called, and when she got no response she let go of the bucket and hurried around to the front of the house.

 

Her grandmother was already on the porch, cradling Phillip’s head in her lap as he lay where he had fallen, surrounded by all of his tools.

 

“Phillip!” Anne shrieked in horror, running up the front steps and kneeling beside him. She could see he was breathing, but he was unconscious and his face was noticeably flushed.

 

Rose placed a hand on his forehead, and she frowned. “He’s got a fever, all right. We should get him into bed.”

 

Anne looked up at her grandmother, fear shining in her eyes. “Do you think he has…?” Her unfinished question hung in the air.

 

“I don’t know, and we can’t find out unless we can get him into bed and call the doctor. Now come on, help me lift him up.”

  
Anne obeyed, and together she and her grandmother managed to carry Phillip to bed and tuck him in, still in his sweaty clothing. Her grandmother then left to fetch a doctor, leaving Anne sitting alone at Phillip’s bedside as he slept, a situation all too familiar to her. As she watched Phillip toss and turn, his face twisted in pain, she silently prayed to whatever higher power cared to listen.  _ Please, please let him be alright. I can’t lose him, not now. Not after everything we’ve been through. I just can’t. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yellow Fever is a disease which, similar to Malaria, is transmitted by mosquitoes. A particularly deadly Yellow Fever epidemic struck New Orleans in 1853, killing a total of 7,849 people. People who were not native to New Orleans had an increased risk of catching the disease since many people from New Orleans had had mild cases as children which protected them from catching it later on in life.
> 
> Feedback in the form of comments and kudos is greatly appreciated, it fuels me to keep writing and reassures me that other people besides myself like my writing.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are somewhat graphic descriptions of illness in this chapter, so if you don't want to read that feel free to skip the part of the story which begins at the line "Phillip stared at Anne for a long minute, only a faint glimmer of recognition present in his fever-glazed eyes..." and ends at the line "Anne was tempted to recoil and run from the room, but she forced down her fear and hurried into the kitchen to do as her grandmother asked."

When the doctor, a positively ancient old man who Anne remembered had seen her when she broke her arm jumping from a tree at age seven, finally arrived he confirmed Anne’s suspicion. Phillip did indeed have Yellow Fever, along with hundreds of others across the city.

 

“What can we do?” Anne asked timidly, almost afraid to hear the answer as the doctor packed up his equipment.

 

“Make him comfortable and keep his fever down, mostly,” the doctor replied. “There isn’t much to do beyond that besides waiting for the illness to run its course.”

 

Anne didn’t respond, she simply gazed at Phillip with empty eyes and held his hand tightly. Her grandmother spoke up.

 

“Thank you for coming, Doctor. We’ll be sure to do as you say.”

 

“I’ll be back in a day or two to check on him, and his fever should break in a few more days. I wouldn’t worry too much,” Anne heard the doctor say quietly as Rose escorted the doctor from the room to settle the bill. She sighed.

 

“You sure know how to get yourself into a mess, don’t you Phillip?” she murmured. Phillip didn’t answer.

 

~

 

Anne was still sitting next to Phillip’s bed five hours later when he began to toss and turn more violently in his sleep. She quickly set aside the book she had been pretending to read and reached forward to grab one of his hands.

 

“Flip? Can you hear me?”

 

Phillip groaned, his eyes slowly peeling open. Anne could see now that they were bloodshot and tinged with yellow, a sure indicator of the disease he had contracted. He frowned up at her, looking confused. “Anne?”

 

Anne smiled, though she could feel her lower lip trembling with emotion. “That’s right, Flip. I’m right here. Do you want some water?”

 

Phillip nodded, his eyes beginning to droop shut again. He roused slightly when Anne lifted up his head to help him drink from the glass of water on the table beside the bed, and he seemed to become more aware. “Think ‘m sick.”

 

Anne nodded slowly, setting the glass to one side and pulling the blankets up to the bottom of his chin. “Yes, you’re just a little sick. That’s why you’re in bed, remember?”

 

Phillip hummed, fighting to stay conscious as sleep pulled him back under. “Shouldn’t be here. You’ll get sick.”

 

“No, I won’t. I promise,” Anne soothed stroking the back of his hand with her thumb. “And I’m not going anywhere.”

 

“Good. Like having you here…” Phillip mumbled, his breathing evening out as his eyes slid shut and he finally surrendered to sleep.

 

Anne felt a few tears trickle down her face as she gazed at her sleeping fiance, but she quickly wiped them away and set her jaw in determination. She would be strong for Phillip, and she would get him better. She swore it.

 

~

 

“Death! Strange that there should be such a word, and such a thing, and we ever forget it; that one should be living, warm and beautiful, full of hopes, desires, and wants, one day, and the next be gone-” Anne’s voice broke as she attempted to read a passage of  _ Uncle Tom’s Cabin  _ out loud to Phillip, and she slowly shut the book and took a shaky breath to calm herself.

 

“Not the most cheery thing to be reading,” her grandmother remarked from where she was standing in the doorway, holding a small cup of tea for Anne.

 

“I know, but Phillip was enjoying it so much before we left that I thought…” Anne trailed off and shrugged.

 

“You don’t have to explain,” Rose soothed, walking over to stand behind her and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Sometimes the worst thing is the silence.”

 

Anne nodded her agreement, and slowly took the steaming cup of tea from her grandmother and took a sip. “Thank you, Nana.”

 

“Of course, Annie.” Rose smiled, then reached over and placed a hand on Phillip’s forehead to check his temperature. She sighed. “Still much too high. Has he woken up anymore?”

 

“Once, about two hours ago. I got him to drink some more water, but nothing besides that.”

 

Rose opened her mouth to say something in response, but suddenly Phillip’s eyes snapped open and he looked around wildly. “Phillip?” Anne asked. “Phillip, I’m here. What’s wrong?”

 

Phillip stared at Anne for a long minute, only a faint glimmer of recognition present in his fever-glazed eyes, then he leaned over the side of the bed and vomited blood all over the floor.

 

“Nana!” Anne exclaimed in horror, jumping up as the crimson liquid splattered on the hem of her dress and dropping her cup of tea in the process. It shattered loudly when it hit the floor.

 

Rose took control in an instant, gently pushing Anne behind her and grabbing the basin which sat on the nearby washstand. She held it next to Phillip and rubbed his back soothingly as he continued to retch into it, until at last he stopped and collapsed against the pillows, panting heavily.

 

“Go get me fresh towels to clean this up with, and put some water on to boil,” Rose instructed Anne, handing her the basin as she spoke. Anne was tempted to recoil and run from the room, but she forced down her fear and hurried into the kitchen to do as her grandmother asked.

 

Once Phillip had been settled and the mess cleaned up, Anne took a seat at the kitchen table and put her head in her hands. Normally she would have instantly run back to Phillip’s side, ready to help him through anything, but the day’s events had shocked her and she desperately needed a minute to herself.

 

Rose joined Anne after a little while, taking a seat across from her and taking both of her hands. She didn’t say a word, simply waited for Anne to speak.

 

“Nana, I’m scared,” Anne said finally, sounding much more like a lost little girl than a full grown woman about to be married. “I can’t lose him.”

 

“I know, honey. It’s hard to watch the people you love suffer and know there’s nothing you can do to help.”

 

“But there was something I could do!” Anne cried, tears trickling down her cheeks and falling on the table. “He needed me earlier, and instead of being there I ran away.”

 

“Oh, Annie. You didn’t run away at all, even though you think you did. You might not have helped Phillip directly, but you still helped him. And you sat with him all day today! That’s got to count for something.”

 

“I guess,” Anne shrugged, wiping her dripping nose on her sleeve. “But I still could have done more.”

 

“If that’s what you truly believe, then I can’t change your mind,” Rose said. “But I can tell you that I think you did all you could, and tomorrow you’ll be there for Phillip just as much as you were today. And when he’s better, he’ll be so grateful that you helped him however you could. That’s the kind of man he is, darling. He loves you just the way you are.”

 

“Oh, Nana,” Anne hiccupped, and suddenly she was sobbing into her grandmother's shoulder like she hadn’t since her mother died. “Help me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is still no cure for Yellow Fever, only treatments, and a vaccine (which didn't exist in the 1850s).
> 
> Uncle Tom's Cabin was an anti-slavery novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe and published in 1852. It was extremely popular all across the country, and it is often credited with laying the groundwork for the Civil War.
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone who has left kudos on this story so far, I really appreciate it and would also love some comments on the chapters I've published so far. Please, don't hesitate to tell me what you think of this story and if there's anything you would change or improve.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for my 1 month long hiatus, I had a lot on my plate between school and Thanksgiving and getting sick. But I'm back now, and excited to continue this story!

The next few days were a whirlwind of activity for Anne and her grandmother, taking care of a delirious Phillip was no easy task. Anne hardly slept, spending almost all of her time keeping vigil at Phillip’s bedside. She wiped his forehead with cool cloths when his fever raged, she piled extra blankets on the bed when he shook with chills, and she held his hand tightly and whispered words of comfort when nightmares plagued him.

 

The doctor had yet to return, a good portion of the city was now sick and he was needed elsewhere. Anne and her grandmother were on their own, trying as hard as they could to help Phillip with their limited resources. Anne was often tempted to give up when things got particularly tough, but observing her grandmother’s resolve strengthened her.  _ Phillip wouldn’t give up on me, so I’m not giving up on him  _ she told herself, then gritted her teeth and rolled up her sleeves. There was work to be done.

 

~

 

The change came about six days after Phillip had first collapsed. Anne was dozing in a chair next to his bed, completely exhausted but determined to stay with him for as long as it took to get him better. Her head was tilted to one side, and her legs were stretched out in front of her as she began to fall into a deeper sleep. Suddenly, something brushed her knee.

 

Anne was wide awake in an instant, sitting straight up in her chair and looking around wildly as she tried to clear the fog which filled her head.

 

“Anne.”

 

The hoarse and tired sounding yet steady voice caught her attention, and Anne looked over at Phillip to see him smiling softly at her and looking completely lucid for the first time in days.

 

Tears rolled down her cheeks. “Flip. You’re awake.”

 

Phillip nodded, then looked around. “How did I get here? The last thing I remember…”

 

“Was fixing the shutter on the front window.” Anne finished. “You collapsed. You have Yellow Fever, Flip.”

 

“Oh.” Phillip’s voice was quiet.

 

“Don’t worry about that now,” Anne soothed. “Would you like some water?”

 

Phillip nodded, and Anne helped him to slowly sit up so that he could drink. He quickly finished the glass, then began to slide back down onto the pillows as fatigue overtook him.

 

“Get some rest,” Anne said, carefully smoothing out the blankets so that they completely covered Phillip and brushing his hair off of his forehead. “We can talk more later.”

 

“Mmm…” Phillip hummed as his eyes slid shut. “Love you.”

 

Anne smiled, tears of happiness and relief filling her eyes. “I love you too.”

 

~

 

“Eat slowly. We don’t want you getting sick again,” Anne instructed as she perched on the edge of Phillip’s bed and handed him a small bowl of broth.

 

“I’m hungry!” Phillip protested as he began to eat, sounding so much like a petulant child that Anne laughed.

 

“Hungry or not I’d really like to not clean up after you again,” Anne said. Though her tone was light and carefree, Phillip suddenly looked troubled and set the bowl aside.

 

“I’m sorry, Anne. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.”

 

Anne frowned and took Phillip’s hand. “None of this was your fault, Phillip. Besides, we can still get married. We’ll just have to postpone it until we go back to New York.”

 

“But you wanted to get married here! I don’t want to ruin that.”

 

“You didn’t ruin anything,” Anne said, giving Phillip’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “I promise.”

 

Phillip looked like he wanted to argue more, but he returned to eating without another comment. Anne watched him for a little while, her lips curving upward into a smile as she saw the wheels turning in his brain. Phillip was just like P.T. in a lot of ways, particularly in his imagination. Anne just hoped that whatever idea he had wouldn’t be too extravagant.

 

~

 

“Rose? Could I ask you for a favor?” Phillip asked from his place in bed, reading a book while Rose bustled around the room cleaning. Anne was out on a shopping trip.

 

“Of course,” Rose said, smiling warmly. “What can I help you with?”

 

“Anne was really excited about getting married here, and I don’t want to ruin that,” Phillip started. “And with the doctor saying that I should be up and about in a few days… I was thinking of surprising Anne and having the wedding here anyway.”   
  


“Well, that’s lovely!” Rose exclaimed. “And I imagine you want me to speak to the Reverend down at the church to settle a date?”

 

“How did you know?”

 

“A grandmother knows everything, Phillip,” Rose said, a wry smile spreading onto her face. “I’ll take care of it for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope to have the final chapter up sometime this week, so be on the lookout for that. In the meantime, I would love some comments on this story, even if they're only a few words long. Thank you to everyone who has left kudos so far!


	5. Chapter 5

“Do I even get a hint?”

 

“No,” Anne’s grandmother stated as she buttoned up the back of Anne’s dress and smoothed out the wrinkles.

 

“I’m not an idiot. I know  _ something’s  _ going on, you wouldn’t have gotten me dressed up otherwise.” Anne replied, sounding exasperated but also excited to find out what the big surprise was.

 

“No one said you were,” Phillip said, walking into the room fully dressed in the nicest suit he had brought with him. “But can’t a man surprise his fiance without having to face an inquisition?”

 

“I suppose,” Anne conceded, stepping away from her grandmother and planting a kiss on Phillip’s cheek. “How are you feeling?”

 

“Perfectly fine,” Phillip reassured her. “Just like when you asked ten minutes ago.”

 

Anne blushed and looked down at her shoes. “Sorry. I’m just-”

 

“Worried,” Phillip finished, tilting her chin up so that she was looking at him. “I know. And I love you so much for it, but I promise I’m fine. Really.”

 

“Okay.” Anne nodded. “I believe you.”

 

“Good.” Phillip grinned and kissed Anne quickly on the lips before turning to Rose, who was also dressed in her nicest dress and who had been watching the entire interaction with a soft smile on her face. “Ready to go?”

 

Rose nodded, taking Anne’s arm and leading her out of the door. “Let’s go.”

 

~   
  


When the threesome arrived at the church a short while later, Anne stopped dead in her tracks and gaped at it with her mouth open as the puzzle pieces slid together in her brain. She looked over at Phillip with a questioning expression.

 

“What do you think? Everything’s arranged, and you said you wanted to get married here anyway,” Phillip said, taking her hand in his.

 

“Yes, but that was before…” Anne trailed off and shook her head as if to clear away whatever thoughts were crowding her brain. “How did you manage it?”

 

“With help from me,” Rose interjected. “But not much. Your fiance is extremely persuasive when he wants to be. I just put in a good word.”

 

“Nana…”

 

“You deserve to have whatever kind of wedding makes you happiest, honey,” Rose said, wrapping an arm around Anne’s shoulders comfortingly. “It’s the least I could do to help you get that.”

 

Anne looked back and forth between her grandmother and Phillip, both of their faces full of love and joy. She glanced over at the church, then wordlessly threw her arms around Phillip and kissed him fully on the lips.

 

“I take it that means we’re getting married today?” Phillip mumbled against her mouth, and she pulled away and nodded.

 

“Yes, Flip. Yes!”

 

~

 

“Carlyle! Anne! You’re back!”

 

“Hello, Lettie! We are, just got back last night,” Anne called, a cheerful grin on her face.

 

“How was it?” W.D. asked as he entered the ring, already in his costume for that night’s performance.

 

“Perfect.” Phillip grinned. “Your grandmother told us to tell you she sends her love.”

 

W.D. smiled slightly at that, then turned away and began coating his hand with chalk in order to begin warming up.

 

“There’s something else,” Lettie said, frowning slightly as she took in the sight of the couple. “Why do you both look like a cat that just killed a mouse?”

 

Phillip and Anne shared a conspiratory look. “Do you want to tell them, or should I?” Anne whispered.

 

“You can tell them.”

 

“Tell us what?” A booming voice asked, and everyone turned to see P.T. striding towards them.

 

Anne wordlessly held up her left hand, and there was an audible gasp as the performers saw the thin silver band on her ring finger.

 

“Congratulations!” P.T. said, clapping Phillip on the shoulder and grinning. “You finally tied the knot.”

 

“But without us! I’m wounded!” Lettie cried dramatically, though the grin on her face made it clear she was just joking.

 

“Congratulations to you both,” W.D. chimed in softly, walking over to them to shake Phillip’s hand and hug Anne.

 

“This calls for a celebration!” P.T. declared as the circus members continued to congratulate Phillip and Anne. “Tonight, after the show. I’ll take care of everything.”

 

Cheers echoed through the ring, and as the performers dispersed to continue their evening preparations Anne turned to Phillip. “Thank you.”

 

“For what?”

 

“Everything,” Anne said, kissing him softly on the cheek. “Everything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so the story comes to a close on a happy note.
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone who commented on this story or left kudos, I love feedback in any form and I'm very glad people enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
> 
> I don't know yet if I will write other stories for The Greatest Showman, but if you think I should please let me know. Also, be sure to check out my other stories!
> 
> Again, thank you so much, everyone.

**Author's Note:**

> There were a large number of free black people living in New Orleans around this time, known as gens de couleur libres (free people of color in French). Many of them were quite wealthy and affluent, and a lot of them primarily spoke French. Because in The Greatest Showman Anne has a Southern accent, I decided that her family likely wouldn't speak French as their first language and instead would speak English.
> 
> The culture of New Orleans at this time was extremely different than the culture in the rest of the United States, mostly due to the fact that New Orleans had never been an English colony and was only made part of the United States after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. In fact, people who were native to New Orleans often called people from the Northern United States who had come to live in New Orleans "Americans", despite the fact that they themselves were citizens of the United States.
> 
> This is my first fanfiction story written for The Greatest Showman, so I would greatly appreciate any advice or constructive criticism anyone has for me. Thank you for reading this, and I hope you enjoy the rest of it!


End file.
